Battery terminal connector



Jan. 6, 1970 D. M. MARTINEZ I 3,488,627

BATTERY TERMINAL CONNECTOR Filed May 24, 1967 United States Patent 0,

US. Cl. 339229 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A quick action batteryterminal post clamp for electrical conductor cables characterized by anOvercenter can! lever operating on a link embracing the bifurcated endsof a terminal post clamp and an eccentric adjusting cam movable tovarious predetermined positions operable to enable the clamp toaccommodate varying sizes of terminal posts.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The field of theinvention is that of a cam actuated electrical connector such asclassified in Class 339, Subclasses 238 and 239.

Description of the prior art Numerous patents have been granted forquick action cam operated connectors for battery terminals, some ofwhich, lacking adjustment, are unable to cope with Varying sizes ofautomotive battery terminal posts and those which do have adjustment,such adjustment comprises some arrangement of inter-engaging threadedelements which quickly corrode and become useless for that reason.Representative prior art patents include 2,445,940, 2,878,460,2,887,668, 3,084,306.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has for its objective theprovision of a lever operated, cam action battery terminal post clampwhich is adjustable to accommodate a wide range of terminal post sizesand which is composed of locking and clamping components which are notsubject to corrosion by exposure thereof through the acid of thebattery. Specifically, the illustrated presently preferred embodiment ofthe invention involves an eccentrically mounted adjusting componentwhich has a novel interlocking engagement with another component wherebyit is prevented from movement from a position to which it has been movedfor purposes of adjustment after the clamp has been closed on terminalpost.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The attached drawings, which form apart of the specification, illustrate, by way of example, certainpresently preferred embodiments of the invention and in said drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a first presently preferred embodimentof the invention as applied to a battery terminal post,

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged scale top plan view of the embodiment shown inFIGURE 1, the clamping lever means being shown in full lines in theclamping position and in stages of release in broken lines,

FIGURE 2a is a figure similar to FIGURE 2, but showing a detail of fineadjustment to accommodate slight variations in the size of the batteryterminal post to be engaged by the connector.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the connector shown in FIGURE 2,

FIGURE 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 2,

3,488,627 Patented Jan. 6, 1970 FIGURE 5 is a partial schematic viewdemonstrating the range of size accommodation achieved by the device,and

FIGURE 6 is a top plan view of a second presently preferred embodimentof the invention in which the clamping lever movement is across the endof the device rather than along the side of the device where suchpositioning of the operating lever is necessary or desirable.

DESCRIPTION OF PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIGURE 1 ofthe drawings, the first described embodiment of the invention is shownas applied to a terminal post P of a storage battery B and this isprobably the principal field of utility of the invention. However, itwill be understood that the invention may be employed for otherelectrical connections where desirable.

The first described embodiment of the invention is disclosed in FIGURES1 through 5 and comprises a body member 1 formed of a suitablyresilient, electrically conductive metal or alloy having a shank portion2 provided with a longitudinal bore 3 in which the end B of anelectrical conductor C is conductively secured by soldering or otherappropriate means. The body member 1 is provided with a bore 4 extendingtherethrough, said bore being tapered to conform to the taper of thebattery terminal post with which it is to be used, it being understoodthat where it is to be used on a cylindrical rather than a tapersurface. the bore would be complementary thereto.

The end 5 of the body member 1 at the side of the bore 4 opposite theshank 2 extends to a greater distance fro-m the center line of bore 4than the portions 6, 6 of the body member bounding said boreintermediate the shank 2 and the end portions 5 and said portion isdivided by a slot 7 extending parallel to the bore 4 into clamp engagingarms 8, 8. The side faces 9, 9 of the clamp engaging arms 8, 8 which areopposite the faces thereof which define the slot 7 are of concaveconfiguration as formed about center lines parallel to the center lineof the bore 4, said concave faces each terminating in an outer corner 10and an inner corner 11 spaced from each other a distance which iscritical in the use of the device as will presently appear.

The clamping component, generally designated 12, comprises a link 13 ofrectangular configuration preferably formed of stainless steel or othercorrosion resistant metal and including parallel side members 14, 14extending between a lever engaging bight 15 and axially aligned endportion 16, 16 which are parallel to the bight 15 and which meet in abore 17 extending in eccentric relation through a generally cylindricalcam under 18 formed of non-corrosive, non-conductive material said camhaving a notched peripheral surface to which further specific referencewill be made. The bight 15 is received in a slot 19 in the cam end 20 ofa hand lever 21 preferably formed of a rigid but slightly resilientplastic of a character which is acid resistant.

The inner end of slot 19 is of a width in which the link bight 15 isclosely but freely received and adjacent to said inner end is slightlynarrower so that the link is assembled therein by being snapped into theslot, the resilience of the lever material permitting the said snapinassembly. The slot 19 extends from the side face of the hand lever whichis remote from the body member 1 when the lever extends parallel to thebody member as shown in FIGURES 2 and 2a. The cam end 20 of the handlever is formed with a cam face 22 which is generated abouta center lineparallel to and slightly ofiset toward the handle end of the lever withrespect to center line about which the inner end of the slot 19 isgenerated so that when the lever is moved to the position shown inFIGURES 2 and 2a, there will have been an over center action as willpresently appear, the radius of said cam face being not greater than theradius of either of the concave side faces 9, 9 of the body member 1.

The cylindrical cam 18 of a diameter which is at least slightly greaterthan twice the radial dimension of the concave side faces 9, 9 of thebody member and is provided with a series of circumferentially spacednotches 23 adapted to engage one or the other of the corners 10 and 11defining the end of said concave side faces. The number of said notchesis an odd number and the length of the side faces 9 between cornersdefining the ends thereof is such that when a notch 23 is engaging oneor the other of said corners, the other corner will be engaged by theportion of a side of said cam extending between two adjacent ones ofsaid notches. Thus, for example, assuming that the cam 18 is providedwith 15 equally spaced notches, the cam may be engaged in 30 differentcircumferential positions.

Having reference to FIGURE 2, it will be noted that the cam 18 has anotch 23 thereof engaged with an inner corner 11 of the concave sideface 9 and that the corner 10 of said side face is disposed between tWoof the notches 23. In FIGURE 2a, the cam has been rotated onlysufiiciently (before closing the clamping lever) so that one of thenotches 23 engages the corner 10 and the corner 11 is then disposedbetween two adjacent notches 23. Since the concave faces and theirrespective corners are mirror image duplicates, the clamping componentmay be applied with the cam lever thereof at either side as may be mostconvenient for a particular installation.

In use, a connector of the invention forming the end of a conductor isfitted over the terminal port to which it is to be connected, the handlethen being in the open position as indicated at 24 in FIGURE 2. The cam18 is initially at a point of rotation which presents the leastdimension eccentrically to the concave surface with which it is engagedand the cam is then rotated to take up any existing slack. Then uponmoving the lever 21 to its closed position, the bifurcated end of member1 will be caused to grip the terminal tightly. If further tightness isdesired, the handle 21 is released and the cam 18 is moved a few notchesfurther in the direction of taking up slack after which the handle isagain brought to its clamping or closed position. When the terminal isto be disconnected, the handle 21 is simply moved to its open positionand the connector lifted clear of the terminal posts. This simple modeof operation avoids all of the annoyance and loss of time which oftenoccurs in loosening and removing a battery cable connector which isclosed by a bolt and nut and on which corrosion has, in effect, weldedthe nut to the bolt.

In some battery installations in vehicles, the side position of thehandle 21 on one or both battery terminals is at least diflicult tooperate. An alternative clamping opponent 25 may be employed as shown inFIGURE 6 in which similar parts are indicated by the same numbers as isthe preceding figures. In this modification, the handle portion is ofmodified L-shape as viewed in side elevation and in the closed position,extends first generally in the direction of the slot 7 and thencelaterally across the end 5 of the body member 1, the slot in which thebight 15 of the link is received and the cam surface being generallycomparable with equivalent portions of the first embodiment.

While in the foregoing specification certain presently preferredembodiments of the invention have been disclosed by way of example, itwill be understood that changes in modifications may be made therein.For example, the slot 7 which has been shown as being in line with theshank 2 may be located at some other point around the bore 4 or theshank 2 might extend in some direction other than that shown. With theseconsiderations in mind it will be understood that the invention is notto be deemed to be limited to the details of construction thus shown byway of example.

I claim:

1. An electrical terminal connector mountable on a conductor; saidconnector comprising in combination a body member and a manuallyoperable fastener means detachably mounted on said body member in aselected one of a plurality of positions; said body member being formedof electrically conductive materials having a capacity for being flexedincident to connection to and disconnection from a terminal andincluding a shank portion having means'for attachment of an end of aconductor thereto, and further having a terminal receiving boreextending therethrough, a slot extending through said body member andradially intersecting one side of said bore at a point other than saidshank portion, a first, concave, fastener means receiving surfacedisposed on the exterior of said body member parallel to one side ofsaid slot, a second, concave, fastener means receiving surface,reversely identical to said first concave surface disposed parallel toand at the other side of said slot; said fastener means comprising arectangular link having side members extending between said concavesurfaces at opposite side of said body member, a first end memberserving as a pivot means for a manually operable cam lever engageablewith one of said concave surfaces and a second end member carrying aneccentrically mounted take up means engageable with the other of saidconcave surfaces, each of said concave surfaces terminates at each endthereof in a corner and in which said take up means comprises acylindrical body having a radial dimension not less than the radialdimension of generation of said concave surfaces and having a series ofgrooves on the outer periphery thereof extending parallel to the axis ofsaid body, and s0 spaced from one another that when one of said groovesis engaged by one of the corners at the end of the one said concavesurfaces in which said take up means is seated, the opposite corner ofthat concave surface will be disposed between two other of said grooves.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,820,429 8/1931 Bohan 3392281,873,775 8/1932 McMaster et a1 339-229 1,930,772 10/1933 Richter et a1.339228 2,445,946 7/1948 Harper 339-228 2,887,668 5/1959 Sherno 3392263,084,306 4/ 1963 Cribbs.

FOREIGN PATENTS 727,351 3/1955 Great Britain.

MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner I. H. MCGLYNN, Assistant ExaminerUS. 01. X.R. 39-239, 274

